The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-17

devotce of Nvebster's They were great
friends and Choate had the greatest awe
| AMI admiration for Webster's splendid ge-
MUS. remember did not think I should
| like Webster. Ii was ten days after the trial
began before he appeared in the court room.
remarked to Mr.. Choate that he would
never he able to catch up with the case, but
his reply was: He Will be dangerous when
ever he comes into the case
WEBSTER COMES.
when the great Webster did corne,n
said Judge Macarthur, che did not seem to
| take much interest ii the case He came
| into it quietly without ostentation, and took
no part III it, except occasionally to ask
| question. He just sat there and watched.
lie chatted and was very sociahle and agree
able with everybody. l got to know him
very well, and to have great respect and
admiration for him. He was grand man.
He wore that historical suit and high choker;
| and his Tine eyes, deep-set and Swarthy COM
pleXlon distinguished him from all others.
He was regal looking
Il was to open the case for the defense.
lie would come to me and say Well, Mr..
Macarthur, we are all waiting anxiously to
hear your opening, to see if you will leave
anything for the rest of u.s. and | would
make some jesting reply. We were all very
/ y,
agreeable all the while. When the plain
tlff's case was closed / spoke for five hours,
opening our side. I thought | was drag
glnS it out too long, and intimated as much
to Mr.. Choate. No. said he, take up all
the time you can, say everything you can
think of, and try and drive away the good
impression the other side has made So
went on and said all could think of that
could do us any good Both Webster and
| ltlOnfR tn nd nl-a in
complimentary terms of my effort Many
ladies' were in the court room to hear the
addresses of Webster and Choate The two
| greatest men of their day pitted against each
| Other In suit was great occasion. Choate
made grand address Webster's reply was
| an ordinary legal argument-cold and logi-
| cal. he was not the orator that Choate
was. 1t was in this case that the famous
auecdote of the two men was told. That
| ChOate, in the most elegant way, and with
| great nlinuteneSs, described the vast differ
ence between the two car wheels until he
| had convinced everybody that they could
not possibly be anything alike. Then Web
ster replied by simply pointing to the two
wheels and saying: "Well, gentlemen, there
they are; see for yourselves, and so won
the case. But, truly, Mr. Webster's argll-
lnent was very plain and simple. He was
not great forensic speaker He could clear
out an assenlblage of people after their Curl
osity had been satisfied us quickly as any
man. Choate held his hearers spell-bound
CHoATE's HANDWRITING.
"Choate had the most peculiar handwrit-
| ing any body ever looked upon. 1t was not
| trembling the characters were bold and
clear, but they were like some strange, for
eign alphabet-it was perfectly unintelligi-
BILE. He would write out instructions for
| me to copy, and | could not read them.
would say: Judge, you will have to tell
me what that character is Why he
would reply, that's so and so; it's as plain
as the nose on your face Just before he be-
| gan to speak Webster took handful of
Choate's notes and distributed them among
the ladies in the court room, going around
/ with them like a man with handbills. He
| gave them out as curiositieS, saying that he
| did know what they were; the ladies might
take them home and study them out,
wEBsTER's ADMIRATION FOR cHoATE.
at was on Monday, I think, that Choate
| concluded his argument. Mr.. Webster was
| to speak the next day, and that night the
AIiddlesex bar that is, Boston,, gave din
ner to the State bar. Choate and Webster
were there, and was present. Choate was
all worn out from his speech during the day,
| and had to retire very soon. When Web
ster came in the banquet room lit was at
the Revere House, everybody stood back
him, and it was with evident relief that he
saw me standing in the middle of the room,
and he came up at once and entered into
| conversation. We had been in the same
case SO long that we had come to be on easy
| terms. We conversed for some time, speak
ing of Choate's effort of the day, and Web
ster spoke in the most complimentary terms
of Choate's powers. The two men had the
| highest regard for each other. Choate
adored Webster, and Webster had the high
est admiration for Choate. He fully appre-
ciated his great genius,
| CHOATE AS AN ORATOR.
"Choate was the greatest American ora
tor" the Judge continued. Il think there
are three men who must be recognized as
the greatest orators of America, and | will
name them in the order Of their genius.
They were Rufus Choate. Wendell Phillips
and Henry Ward Beecher. Beecher made
many commonplace speeches, but could
| and did say some grand things. Phillips
never delivered an address that was not a
navel of oratory. Choate was the peer of
any Of the great Roman orators. Choate
was one of the warmest, most sympathetic,
and genial men i'll the world. His genius
entered into his fellowship and ripened and
| mellowed it."